Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching. In this explanatory review, we’re covering Particle Hearts by developer, Underwater Fire Games:
Particle Hearts (Nintendo Switch)
Particle Hearts is a third-person adventure game from California-based game development studio Underwater Fire Games. The studio is lead by Jess Feidt who is no stranger to video game development as he previously worked at Treyarch and was part of numerous products including Quantum of Solace, the Call of Duty series, and the Socom series. Other members of the team include Christopher Graf, Dan Feidt, and Michael Ellery who composed the sounds and music for Particle Hearts. Together, they have created a rich and surreal game that will take the player on a deep, emotional journey.
The game takes place in a world made completely of particles. Players take control of an unnamed protagonist and must help guide him through this strange and surreal world in order to find out the character’s connection to this land. You will encounter other inhabitants of the world, with some creatures that may help you and others that will opt not to. As to why, you will have to discover that for yourself through story progression and by collecting wind chimes that reveal more about off-screen events that shed light on the protagonist’s memories and how the current state of the world came to be.
As a third-person adventure game, Particle Hearts presents players with a vibrant world and gives them the freedom to explore the world at their own pace. Although it is not open-world, you can roam each region of the game how you see fit before moving on to the next area. Each region possesses a number of dungeon-like areas called figment gates that the player must enter and overcome the challenges that await inside. There is a lot of 3D platforming as well as puzzle solving to be had in these figment gates, which are kind of like the shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Successfully reaching the end of these gates will grant the player with a peculiar item that is required to reach the next area.
In the beginning, you are rather limited in controls but have the option to jump and dash. However, you can learn new skills like burst that will allow you to pass through certain obstacles, which is necessary for some figment gates, and you will eventually be able to attack. In the earlier stages, you won’t find much confrontation from enemies but as you progress and the story develops, some creatures will become more aggressive towards you and you may have to fight back or avoid them completely.
There is very little handholding in Particle Hearts, so you have to figure things out a lot for yourself. In the main areas, where you have to go is reasonably straightforward in the sense that if you see a white structure, you should probably head there. The figment gates, on the other hand, some of the puzzles and how you overcome particular obstacles are not very clear at all and it took me a good while to figure some of them out myself and even resorting to watching gameplay videos from content creators to work out how to beat them (huge shoutout to Akuyaku for his gameplay walkthrough of the game). I will admit that I did spend well over an hour before having to look up the solution and didn’t just cave in within five minutes of trying.
Particle Hearts is one of those games that is intriguing and full of wonderment. The visual effects and how the use of particles make up the world and its inhabitants is quite stunning and the soundscape is just beautiful and moving as well. I get a lot of Breath of the Wild meets Blue Fire and Koral vibes vibes from this game with its visual representation as well as the general feel. Although there isn’t really much in terms of combat, Particle Hearts is much more passive in that there aren’t any serious threats to contend with. Instead, you can take in the scenery and just enjoy playing at a slower pace that will help extend its approximate eight-hour play time.
I would personally recommend Particle Hearts to anyone looking for a Zelda or Journey-like game but with more focus on exploring the world and puzzle solving and less on fighting enemies.
Game Specifications:
Developer: Underwater Fire Games
Publisher: First Break Labs
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Digital)
Genre: Action, Adventure
No. of Players:Â 1 (Single System)
Release Date:Â August 25, 2025
Price:Â $19.99
File Size: 3.2 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
